Thread guide for creels



March 1952 c. P. SMITH ET AL THREAD GUIDE FOR CREELS Filed March 11, 1949 m h N 2 mi M M Tm m W i A W m NR5 kP 7 f dr .9 M 1. C W m g M j -M H H r .1 m 6 ll F l: a A I m 9 Patented-Mar. 4, 1952 ori ice THREAD GUIDE FOR caEELs Chadwick P. Smith and Alfred P. Smith, Charlotte, N; C.

. Application March 11, 1949,.Serlal Not 80,942

This invention is directed to a thread guide for a creel. In particular, the invention is directed to a guide so constructed that the threads in adjacent cones vertically mounted in a creel can be tied together and made to run continuously through a fixed guide eye over one of the cones. V V

In creels it is customary to mount two or more cones adjacent one another with the tail thread of one cone tied to the top thread of a second cone so that as the thread is exhausted from the first cone, the thread continues to be pulled from the second cone. A fresh cone then replaces the exhausted first cone, but unless some special arrangement is made at this point, it is necessary to stop the drawing of the thread from the creel when the second cone is exhausted in order that the thread from the fresh first cone can be threaded through a guide eye. As these cones are constructed so that the thread is drawn from the apex of the cone, the cone remaining stationary, it has been proposed in, the prior art to use but a single guide eye, which can be done in several ways as by mounting two or more cones with their longitudinal axes convergent toward the single guide eye. This arrangement makes it difiicult to replace exhausted cones, besides requiring a rather expensive and clumsy mounting apparatus for holding the cones.

An object of the instant invention is to mount cones on simple racks in up-right position, and to provide means whereby the running of the thread from the second cone back to a new first cone can be achieved without stopping the creel for rethreading. Another object of the invention is to produce a means by which the capacity of the ordinary creel can be at least doubled by reason of providing a guidin means in which the creels can be mounted in up-right position with a continuous running of thread from one cone to another.

In general, these objects of the invention are,

obtained by constructing simple supports within the framework of a creel for holding the cones in vertical position. A fixed eye is provided for guiding the thread from thefirst cone while an especially designed spring leaf guide is mounted above the second cone in a pair of cones. When the second cone is running, the tail thread of the second cone is tied to the top end thread of a new first cone, and when the second cone is exhausted, the thread slips from the spring leaf guide, and being tied to the first cone, thus runs without stop from the first cone through the guide eye mounted there-above. 1

4 Claims. (01. 2435157) The means by which these and other objects of the invention are obtained aremore fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevational.

view of a creel diagrammatically indicating the use of'the novelguiding means; Figure 2 is a plan view of the guidingr means; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an end view of Figure 2; and Figure ,5 is a perspective view of the guiding means illustrated wit a thread guided there-around.

In Figure 1 the creel frame is indicated by the uprights 2 connected by a cross-bar 4. For the purpose of illustration, this cross-bar is shown supporting four pairsof cones, each support consisting of a vertical member Shaving a cross beam 8 secured thereto and upon which a pair of cones is mounted, and having a cross-bar II] for supporting a, fixed guide eye l2 and a spring leaf guide l4.

Asshown in Figures 2 to 5, this spring leaf guide is composed of a base plate 16 having a slot [8 cut a little more than half-way therethrough, adjacent one end thereof. Upon the other end is mounted a block 20 secured to the base plate [6 in a convenient way and provided with a, slot 22 in which is fastened one end of a spring leaf 24, this spring leaf extending across the slot l8. In Figure 5 the manner of threading this guide is shown; the thread from a cone B being passed upwardly through the slot Ill between the inner end of the slot and spring leaf 24, and then over top of spring leaf 24.

The manner of employing this guide is illustrated in successive steps in Figure 1. The cones are stationary, and as they do not revolve it is necessary that the thread be pulled vertically from the cones, elsewise the thread would break. The top end of the thread from cone 8 is passed through the fixed eye l2 and the lower end of the thread on cone A tied as indicated at 30 to the upper end of the thread on cone B, this thread from cone B being passed through guide M in the manner illustrated in Figure 5. When the thread from cone A is exhausted, note the lower left-hand side of Figure 1, the thread from cone B is drawn over guide I 4 through eye I2 without stopping the operation of the creel. The lower end of the thread on cone B is then tied at 30' to a fresh cone A placed beneath guide [-2.

In the upper right-hand corner of Figure 1 the thread position is illustrated at the time when the thread on cone B is exhausted and thread is to be drawn from the new cone A. If a fixed eye were used in place of a spring leaf guide I4.

H. The thread from cone A then runs directly through guide l2 vertically abovethis cone'a's,

indicated in the lower right-hand side of Figure 1. Exhausted cone B is thenrea'dy' to be: re"- placed by a fresh cone B, the upper end thread of fresh cone B to be tied to thelowerenct threadof the running cone A and the operation of 4 applicable to the continuous drawing of thread in anyprocess and thus is not limited to a creel. In addition the flexible guide will operate in any position as well as in the vertical position described, to guide thread from the top of stationary cones, tubes, bobbins, or like thread packages.

Having now disclosed the means by which the objects of the invention are obtained,

We claim:

1. In a creel having a plurality of vertically mounted thread cones tied end to end, guiding means comprising a stationary thread guide positioned above and in alignment with the axis of a first cone, a second guide positioned above and in alignment with the axis of a second cone and being threaded therefrom, the thread from said drawing the thread from the creel proceeding without stop as indicatedin the upper left-hand side of Figure 1. v d

It is thus apparent that fresh cones can be continuously inserted in the creel without stopping the running of the creel, and this can be accomplished by using the simple'spring leaf guide l4. Any number of cones B can be em"- ployed with a single cone A, as long as each cone B has a spring leaf guide mounted above it. At the same time, the cones can be mounted verti'cally utilizing simple up-rights and cross'members, and the capacity of existing creelscan be at least doubled by this inexpensive construc tion. Consequently, not only is the time required to draw threads from. a creel materially lessened by reason of the elimination of the stoppage of the creel to insert and tie together fresh cones, but floor space can be saved by increasing the capacity of' each creel. It is clear that in textile mills where both time and floor space are very critical elements, very iiriporta'nt results are produced by the instant invention.

While the invention has been illustrated showing a flat blade-like leaf spring 21, it is apparent that any form of flexible member can. serve the purpose regardless of shape as long as the "principles of the invention are observed, that isthe member must be strong, enough tosupport the thread passing over the member, and at the same time flexible enough toperinit the thread to escape the guide. Furthermore, the invention is first and said second cones continuously passing through said first guide as. said cones are alternately emptied and replaced, and said second guide including means for releasing the thread when the thread is exhausted from said second cone.

' 2. In acreel as in claim 1, said releasing means comprising resilient means for holding said thread.

3. A thread guide comprising a base member having a slot therein, a leaf spring, and means mounting said leaf spring over said slot for flexure in the direction of the lengthof said slot.

' 4. A thread guide, a base member having an opening therein, and resilient guide means mounted adjacent said opening, said resilient means being displaceable across said opening. CHADWICK P. SMITH.

ALFRED P. SMITH.

I REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date $94,490 Rh'oades Mar. 28, 1893 795,769 Houghton July 25, 1905 992,324 Yale May 16, 1911 1,364,987 Fleming Jan. 11, 1921 1,642,805 Carlson ept.20,1927 1,765,590 Javery June 24, 1930 2,466,852 Keith Apr. 12, 1949 

